A Rumour Comes True
by bethanyyerinn
Summary: A Merthur. Time-wise, it would be somewhere in the later half of the second season (I only explain because Morgana is mentioned and she isn't evil yet). Merlin goes through a realisation that he might have feelings for Prince Arthur.
1. Arthur's Acting Strange

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

It was a sweltering hot day when Merlin awoke, rubbing sleep from his eyes. His door opened barely a second later, Gaius leaning his head in just a little.

"Arthur's been calling for you for ten minutes now," he said, looking like he had been woken up by the racket.

Merlin rolled his eyes. "Earlier than usual," he muttered.

Gaius, instead of responding, just shut the door again so Merlin could get ready for the day. He looked down at his bed at his two clothing options: red shirt with blue kerchief or blue shirt with red kerchief. Oh, the possibilities. What would he do? Merlin smirked at his joke as he quickly got ready. Merlin couldn't help but make jokes often. It helped make the days easier, the weight of his destiny lighter on his shoulders.

Destiny. Just the word flitting through his head made it feel like one more package fell back onto his back. I mean, he could have had a worse destiny, sure. Having to protect a prince who had become his best friend… it wasn't so bad. He wouldn't say he was unhappy with his lot in life, but his job couldn't be more difficult some days. Though Arthur was one of the most amazing men Merlin had ever met, he was also an arrogant prat and got himself into danger on purpose. So not particularly easy to protect, but hey, a man doesn't chose his destiny.

"Merrrrrliiiiin!" was the first sound he was greeted by once he left his chambers. He shook his head and followed the bellow to Prince Arthur's bedchambers.

The second he opened the door, he saw Arthur sitting at his desk, looking up at Merlin through his lashes with a petulant look on his face. Merlin grinned and his heart leapt the same way it always did when he saw Arthur. It didn't matter how heavy the duties in his life sometimes seemed, because Arthur was worth it. He remembered it every time he laid eyes on him, watched his golden hair shine in the sunlight coming in through the window.

"Where have you been?" Arthur snapped.

Well, Merlin _thought_ he was worth it, at least. "Sorry sire, slept in a little."

"Did you? I wonder why… considering you were at the tavern again last night."

Merlin wanted to walk right out of the room in order to hit Gaius over the head. Merlin had told Gaius to stop telling Arthur he was at the tavern, but he never listened. Merlin was starting to think that Gaius thought it was funny. Merlin was _actually_ out in the woods, practising a new spell.

"Sorry sire," Merlin said, because he wasn't sure what else to say.

Arthur stood, putting down the paper he'd been looking at. "You know, if you were my father's servant, he would send you to the stocks."

"That's why I'm working for you, not him," Merlin said.

Arthur came closer, close enough for Merlin to gaze into his clear blue eyes. "You think I'm above sending a lazy servant to the stocks?"

"No. I think you wouldn't _want_ to send _this_ lazy servant to the stocks," Merlin corrected.

One of Arthur's eyebrows went up. "Wouldn't I?"

Merlin smirked a little. He knew he was playing his luck—and he didn't necessarily _want_ rotten tomato thrown at him—but he couldn't help but mess with Arthur. Not to mention, he knew he was right. He could see it in Arthur's eyes, which were softening while he watched.

"I called because I need my armour polished," Arthur said.

Merlin wanted to tease him for not sending him to the stocks, but decided that was a bad idea. So instead, he said, "This early? Are you sure it isn't something else?"

Arthur made a face of disgust, one he always made when anyone suggested he would need Merlin's help with anything. "Why would I need something from _you_? You're my idiot manservant."

"Of course, how silly of me, I just do _everything_ for you is all."

"Everything?"

"Yes, everything," Merlin repeated, grabbing Arthur's armour.

Merlin was almost out the door when Arthur said, "Wait."

Merlin turned. "Sire?"

"Yeah, I called you for something else," he admitted.

"Naturally," Merlin said. "What do you need my great wisdom for this time?"

"Never mind," Arthur said, shaking his head and going back to his papers. "If you're going to make fun of me…"

"Wait, sire," Merlin said, setting down his armour and coming closer to his desk. "I won't poke fun, I promise. What do you want to talk about?" he asked.

Arthur looked up at him, smiling just a little. "It's funny, one moment you'll be teasing me and then next you'll seem so concerned…"

"My teasing doesn't mean I don't care about you. You tease me and we both know you are at least mildly fond of me."

"Am not."

They both smiled in unison at each other. "What is it you wanted to talk about, sire?" Merlin asked again.

"Well…" Arthur said, looking uncomfortable as he glared at his hands. "It's really stupid."

"And that's different than usual…" Merlin muttered, but then he saw the look on Arthur's face and said, "Sorry, sorry, continue."

"I met someone," Arthur choked out. He sounded so embarrassed, so nervous.

"Met someone?" Merlin asked in confusion, but from the look on Arthur's face, he realised what he meant. Was he talking about Gwen? Somehow, it didn't seem like it. "A girl? You like her?"

Merlin couldn't tell you why, but something about saying that aloud made his heart sink.

"I don't know. Maybe."

Merlin nodded. "So, no disrespect sire, but what are you telling me for?"

Arthur looked up in confusion, as if he didn't really know either. "Have you ever been in love?" he suddenly asked.

"In _love_?" Merlin choked out. "You're in love?"

"Merlin, just answer the question."

Merlin was going to lie and say no, but then Freya's face flashed into his head and he closed his eyes, not wanting to remember. He didn't think about her often, but when he did, it hurt. He opened his eyes again and Arthur's eyebrows were creased together in concern. Somehow, looking at him made Merlin feel better. "Yeah, once," he managed to say.

"Before you worked for me?"

Again, he was going to lie, but the truth came out for some reason. "No."

"Why aren't you with them now?"

Merlin looked down into his hands. "She died," he finally said.

"She—oh. Okay, yes," Arthur said, springing up from his chair. "That's all. Polish that armour now, get out of here." If Merlin didn't know any better, he'd think that Arthur was expecting a specific answer and that the one Merlin had given was not what he wanted.

"Arthur," Merlin said, forgetting to use a respectful title, "are you alright?"

Arthur sputtered angrily for a moment. "Of course I'm alright. Go polish that armour!" he commanded.

"Right. Okay," Merlin said, picking up the armour and walking out the door.

As he did his chores, he sat and thought. Something about what Arthur had said… He was really upset about something. And, it seemed, somehow suspicious of Merlin. He didn't know what could have been going on, but he intended to find out.

He went to go find Arthur out in the training field first, since it was the most likely place he would be. He approached Sir Leon. "Where's Arthur?"

"He isn't here," Leon said, sounding surprised himself. "He never even came."

"That's odd."

"I thought so too. Nobody's seen him. Actually, I figured you might know where he was."

"I mean, I saw him this morning, but not for a few hours."

"Should we be worried?"

"I don't think so yet. I'll keep looking."

Leon nodded and Merlin walked back into the castle. He went to Arthur's chambers next, but they were empty too. It wasn't like Arthur to go off without telling anyone. Plus, if Uther found out, he might sound the alarm for a kidnapping. Arthur must not be thinking straight.

He went to see Gaius next. It was unlikely that Arthur was with Gaius, but sometimes Gaius just knew things, so he figured it wouldn't hurt to try.

"Have you seen Arthur?" Merlin asked as soon as he walked in.

"Actually, he came looking for you," Gaius said, "less than an hour ago."

"He did?"

"He was acting really strangely, actually. Said something about picking herbs…"

Merlin smiled. "Then I know where he is." Before Gaius could ask, he left the room and started out of the castle.

Really, it was just a hunch, but a lot of the time when Merlin said that he was picking herbs, Arthur figured he was actually in the tavern. Merlin had a feeling that he had told Gaius he'd be picking herbs so that Merlin would look for him at the tavern. Because, really, when would Arthur ever do any work for himself when he had Merlin to boss around?

When he reached the tavern, Arthur was sitting at a table alone. Well, he was wearing a cloak, so it was likely that nobody else knew it was him, but Merlin was sure. He sat down next to him.

"Fancied a break, did you?" Merlin asked. Arthur peeked over.

"You're smarter than I give you credit for," he said.

"So what's really wrong? You wouldn't have told Gaius that you were picking herbs unless you wanted me to be the one to find you."

"It's really silly."

Merlin was getting tired of hearing that today. "Is it?"

"Yeah. I wanted to talk to you in private, that's really the only reason I brought you here. I didn't want any chance that we'd be overheard. Here, even if we are overheard, nobody can tell who I am, so it doesn't matter."

"So what did you want to talk about?"

"The same thing as this morning. I thought maybe you weren't being honest because you didn't want anyone to hear."

"What on earth wouldn't I have been honest about?" Merlin asked, honestly confused.

Arthur looked over at him. "You're saying you've never been in love with anyone else?"

Merlin shook his head. "What is this about, Arthur? You're acting very strangely."

Arthur, to Merlin's confusion, grinned. "I knew Morgana was wrong!"

"What about Morgana?" Merlin demanded. Was Morgana spreading rumours or something? She did that sometimes when she was bored.

"She told me… oh, never mind, it's stupid. But she was wrong, so it doesn't matter," he said, getting up and walking from the tavern. Merlin followed him and grabbed his arm.

"If Morgana said something about me, I'd like to know what it is," Merlin said.

"I give the orders, Merlin, not you," he said harshly, glaring down at Merlin's hand gripped on his forearm.

Merlin rolled his eyes, but let go and put his hands up in surrender. "Fine, will you _please_ tell me?"

Arthur was quiet again. "It's really silly," he finally said.

"You've said that several times now," Merlin noticed, crossing his arms.

"Are you trying to be menacing?"

"No, I'm just annoyed."

Arthur stomped rather immaturely. "Fine. But I'm telling you, it's ridiculous."

"I heard you the first fourteen times."

"Morgana told me… well, she told me that you had… _feelings_ for me." There was a silence as the boys looked at each other. Then they both started laughing.

"Feelings? Honestly!" Merlin said, chuckling. "That's what this was about?"

"Yeah, weird huh? I thought you'd be upset when I told you."

"Why?"

"Because… I believed her at first."

Merlin's smiled faltered. "Yeah, why is that?"

"I don't know. Wasn't thinking, I guess."

"Right. Well anyway, I have work to do," Merlin said.

"Like you ever do work," Arthur retorted.

They parted ways and suddenly, Merlin's head had become very muddled. What Arthur had said seemed silly at first, as he was saying it was. Because Merlin couldn't have _feelings_ for Arthur. They were both men, first of all. And really, he kind of hated Arthur sometimes. How could he feel anything romantic towards such a brutish, immature, arrogant… attractive, brave, funny…

Oh no. No no no no no.

Feelings for Arthur? It was stupid. It was outlandish. It was…

Well, after Merlin thought about it for a long time, he was frightened to realise that it kind of made sense. He had always cared for Arthur… maybe more than he should have.

Suddenly he wished he hadn't convinced Arthur to tell him what Morgana had been saying… because now that he had heard the words, they wouldn't get out of his head.

He walked around all day, considering it all. Did he truly have feelings for Arthur? The sheer fact that he had to think about it that long probably should have told him the answer, but he was mostly just hoping it wasn't true.


	2. Confronting Morgana

**ONE WEEK LATER**

* * *

It didn't take very long at all for the idea spoken aloud to take hold in Merlin's mind. Actually, he couldn't stop thinking about it, no matter how hard he tried. Every time he saw Arthur, the feelings he had always felt were mingled with nervousness. Arthur was definitely beginning to notice by this point and Merlin didn't really know what to do about it. How angry would Arthur be when he found out?

Then he realised that it was Morgana's fault in the first place that all this had happened, so maybe he ought to talk to her about it. Maybe if she admitted she had made the whole thing up, Merlin's confusion would end.

Merlin went to Arthur's chambers first, to bring him breakfast. It was ridiculous, the amount his feelings had escalated. Arthur was there in his bed clothes, hair going every which way, his morning scowl planted firmly on his face, and Merlin still thought he was somehow beautiful. He stared while Arthur ate.

"This looks better than usual," Arthur commented. Merlin only shrugged. He was too enthralled with staring to actually want to respond. "What is it with you lately? You're actually doing a good job on your chores, and you've shut up a bit."

Merlin really was only half listening. Arthur insulted him all the time. He was used to it by then. Actually, for him, the comment was probably a compliment. "If you wanted me to shut up all along, you should've just asked."

Arthur looked up from his food. "See, like that. You never let the things I say get to you."

Merlin decided to pay full attention to the conversation then. "They haven't gotten to me," Merlin assured him, "It's just that you could tell me to be a silent manservant, since you're the prince, only you don't." It was actually a decent point, Merlin realised after he said it. If Arthur was truly irritated with Merlin, why didn't he send him away? _Because he's not actually irritated_, was the only answer Merlin could come up with. _Or_, he thought a moment later, _maybe it's the same as me. He irritates me too, but I care too much about him to toss him aside. _

Arthur met eyes with Merlin. "I don't actually want you to stop talking, Merlin. I like having you around. Sometimes… well, sometimes I need someone to tell me when I'm being stupid. Which isn't often, of course."

"Sure it isn't," Merlin said.

Arthur smiled. "So are you going to tell me why you've been acting strangely?"

"I haven't been," Merlin said.

"Why don't you feel like you can talk to me?"

"Because you're a prat?" Merlin asked innocently. Arthur huffed.

"Oh, fine, don't tell me, but I'll figure it out."

"Course you will, sire," Merlin said.

"You can't keep secrets from me."

Merlin almost burst out laughing at that one. Try every day of his life! "No, you're far too smart for that," Merlin agreed.

"Good. Glad you know it. Now go wash my clothes. They're filthy."

Merlin smiled as he picked up the pile and went away from the room. Instead of washing the clothes immediately, however, he dumped them on his bed and went to see Morgana. He ran into Gwen on the way there.

"Morgana's in her chambers, right?" Merlin asked, maybe with a little irritation in his voice.

"No, actually, she's not," Gwen said. Then she looked at him knowingly. "I guess you heard about what she said about you."

Merlin gaped. "She told you too?"

"I was in the room when she was speaking to Arthur about it," she said, looking at the ground, the way she often did when she spoke about Arthur.

"Yes, I was just going to tell her not to make things up to scare Arthur is all."

She raised an eyebrow. "Morgana didn't go to him with the story. He asked her, she only answered with her observations," she said, slightly defensive. She was Morgana's maid, after all.

"He _asked_ her?"

She looked up through her lashes and nodded, swallowing hard. Considering that Gwen and Arthur had some sort of affection going towards each other, Merlin suddenly thought maybe it was best that he didn't talk to her about it.

"I have chores to do, so I can't wait for Morgana," Merlin said, remembering to keep his voice nonchalant. "See you later," he said as warmly as he could, going down the hall.

"Merlin," she said.

He turned. "Yes?"

"It—it was me. He came to me."

Merlin came back a few steps. "Really? That changes things."

"Not really," she replied, "he just thinks I would know you better than Morgana, which is probably true."

"There's something you're not telling me."

Gwen looked uncomfortably at the walls. "Arthur will have me thrown out of Camelot if I tell a secret I was sworn not to tell."

"But he fancies you. I doubt that." He realised a moment too late that his voice sounded a little bitter.

Gwen's face was sad. "I wouldn't be so sure. He wouldn't do that for someone else. Arthur isn't fond of special treatment."

"He would be with someone he loves."

"Exactly. And who here is getting that kind of treatment, you or me?" she said, her voice sounding very unlike her in its iciness. She realised she had said too much and hurried away. Merlin couldn't even bring himself to call to her. What exactly was she saying, anyway?

Well, Merlin wasn't stupid, he knew what she was saying, but she must have been wrong.

That meeting hadn't gone at all how he had hoped. All it did was raise more questions, actually. Gwen, the woman that Merlin thought Arthur really cared for, was convinced that Arthur might have—

But he didn't. He couldn't even think it. He was starting to realise lately that once someone says an idea out loud, or even thinks about it too much, it's very hard to get out of their head.

But the question is, what was Merlin to do about it? He would say that he should ignore it, except it had been hard enough to ignore all week, let alone now, hearing what he just heard.

He couldn't talk to Arthur about it. No, no way.

He sighed. He really, _really_ wished he had never asked Arthur to elaborate now. Honestly, this was all just confusing. He didn't want to have feelings for Arthur if all it meant was that he was going to be confused all the time.

Wait. But that was it. He just needed to not have feelings for Arthur. There had to be a spell for that.

He went into one of his sorcery books and looked through it for a long time, finally finding one that took you back in time. Easy. He just had to be careful to go back to the right time. Then he would… well, what would he do then? He would still have his memory. Even if he stopped Arthur from telling him, he still knew.

Suddenly, his mission changed. He realised that going back in time could give him at least a little clarity, which was worth something. Before he got rid of the feelings altogether, at least.

He recited the spell and—


	3. Back In Time

It was a very uncomfortable feeling, travelling through time. Well, actually, the process was quite short, but actually _being_ back in time, that's what was weird. Merlin expected to be solidly there, but he was actually just a shadow of a being, floating rather than standing on the ground. His surroundings were distorted, like he was seeing them through several panes of coloured glass. He couldn't touch anything and when a servant walked by, he didn't even notice Merlin. Merlin wondered for a moment if he could still do magic, so he sent a gust of wind down the hall. Peculiarly, it worked. He really was like some type of ghost, one who could not be seen or heard or felt, but could still affect his surroundings if he chose.

He was in Arthur's chambers. He knew he had done the spell right when Gwen came in the door.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked, blushing.

Arthur sighed. "Yes, I did."

Gwen looked concerned. "Are you alright?"

"No, I don't think I am," he replied. Merlin wanted to comfort Arthur. He didn't see the prince like this often, quiet and thoughtful, and maybe a little sad. "You see… I feel horrible, actually…"

"You've fallen for someone else," Gwen guessed.

Arthur looked up to her, surprised. "How did you know?"

Her lips quirked up in a sad sort of way. "A woman knows when the man that kisses them is thinking of another."

He looked down. "I'm sorry. I couldn't keep it from you anymore, because I really am quite fond of you… I should have told you earlier."

She smiled, this time not looking completely miserable. "I know who it is, too," she said quietly.

Just then, Merlin felt a presence in the hallway. He couldn't tell you how, really, but he knew that whoever it was was up to no good, though he didn't seem to have any magical ability. He actually rolled his eyes, because he knew what was going to happen. They had finally gotten to the part of the conversation he wanted to hear, and now he was going to get pulled away to save someone's life—again—and was going to miss it_. All a part of the job_, he muttered. The words sounded like they were spoken underwater and neither Arthur nor Gwen noticed as they looked at each other meaningfully.

"Is it that obvious?" Arthur finally asked as Merlin walked through—and I do mean literally _through_—the door.

He had to follow the presence for a minute before he saw who it was: a servant. He'd worked for Uther for a long time, but Merlin had noticed he had been conspicuously missing for the past week. Now he understood why. Merlin was supposed to stop him from doing something bad and somehow get him out of the castle entirely. At least he knew it could be done, since in the future the servant was gone.

Merlin was feeling impatient, since he really wanted to listen to what Gwen and Arthur were saying, so he used magic to cover the servant's mouth with his own kerchief—which became visible again once he wasn't wearing it—and stick him in a closet. Then he walked back to Arthur's chambers.

"… think so?" Arthur was saying.

"I'm almost positive, sire," Gwen said, sounding a little more distant than before. She was hurting because of what Arthur had said, but he was too dumb to notice it.

"I need to _know_."

"I can't figure that out for you."

"I know that… I will. If anyone asks, Morgana was the one spreading it, not you."

"I'm not spreading anything! Who are you planning on telling?"

"Don't you worry about that. But if you tell anyone what I told you—or more, what you already knew—"

"Yes, yes, I know," Gwen snapped. "Thrown out of the kingdom. Is that all?"

Arthur looked sad again, standing and walking over to her.

"I _am_ sorry."

"I know you are," she sighed. She tried to smile for him, curtsied, and then left the room.

Arthur went back to his desk and Merlin couldn't help but watch him for a moment. Then, to Merlin's confusion, Arthur looked up and looked straight at him. Merlin froze. "Merlin?" Arthur asked, but Merlin knew he wasn't actually seeing him. Did Arthur feel his presence? "Merlin, if you're hiding in there," Arthur muttered mutinously. He came straight up to Merlin, reaching right through his chest, to open his wardrobe. It was obviously empty. Arthur huffed in relief and sat back at his desk, but he still looked uncomfortable, like he could feel Merlin standing there.

Merlin remembered he had a kingdom to save and went back out into the hallway.

* * *

The servant was actually easy to dispose of—it was nice to have an uncomplicated problem to solve. He didn't have any grand plan, it seemed, and not very much motivation either. As soon as Merlin undid the kerchief around his mouth, the kid started bawling, saying that the only reason he was going to try to kill Uther at all was because his father told him to, and promised he would leave the castle as long as the magic stopped. He even dropped the poisoned dagger he had on him.

Merlin followed him out of the kingdom—the poor kid ran the whole time. _What if some silly attempt like that had succeeded_, Merlin suddenly wondered. So many sorcerers tried and failed to get rid of Uther, but what if one little servant, with just a dagger, were what had brought him down? The thought was unsettling. It also made him wonder: where would the kingdom be if he weren't there to save it all the time? He didn't mean to sound cocky, but honestly, he felt like he was saving either Arthur or Uther at least once a day. How they had survived even that long was a bit of a marvel to Merlin.

He wondered all these things as he walked through the castle, only half existing. It was kind of relaxing, actually. Nobody else seemed to notice him, only Arthur when he had been standing in his chambers. Why was that, anyway? He even tried to touch someone on the shoulder one time and they didn't even shiver. But Arthur had sensed him, he just knew it. Merlin decided that he was probably reading into it too much.

He also decided that he had been gone quite long enough. Arthur was probably already screaming for him, the clotpole. But Merlin smiled when he thought of him nonetheless.

Merlin had read in the spell that to come back, you only had to recite the incantation backwards. He had written it down and put in in his pocket before he left.

He took it out, read over it once in his head to get the pronunciation, and then said it aloud.

He looked around at his surroundings. The same. He looked at himself. Definitely still insubstantial. Had he read it wrong? He read it again and again and again, with many different inflections. Each time, he felt himself getting more and more tired, but he ignored it. He had to get back, after all. After a while though, he was getting so weak that he had to sit down.

What was going on?


	4. Something's Wrong

Gaius was catching up on some reading, because he had very little to do that day, when he heard Arthur bellowing for Merlin. He sighed.

"Merlin, are you here?" he asked. There was no response from Merlin's room, so he thought maybe he was out doing some spells. He had to remember this time _not_ to say Merlin was at the tavern…

"Where is he?" Arthur roared as he entered.

Gaius wasn't sure what to say, so he told the truth. "I honestly don't know, sire."

"Probably sleeping, the lazy git," Arthur muttered, shoving past all of Gaius' things and towards Merlin's room. Arthur really was rather rude sometimes.

But when Arthur pushed open the door and hollered Merlin's name again, it sounded scared instead of angry. Gaius shot up from his chair and saw Merlin lying on the ground, seemingly unconscious. There was a book near him—Merlin was really dumb enough to keep a sorcery book just lying around? Honestly.

Gaius slyly kicked the book under the bed as he leaned down to check Merlin's pulse. It was normal, maybe a little slow, as if he were extremely relaxed.

"What's wrong with him?" Arthur asked.

"I haven't a clue," Gaius replied. Arthur promptly picked Merlin up in his arms—easily, as if he weighed nothing at all.

"Where should I put him? On his bed?"

"Out in the front room."

Arthur nodded and went out into Gaius' workshop, setting Merlin down on the operating table.

Arthur was hovering, watching Gaius like a hawk. He looked extremely concerned—more than Gaius expected, actually—and seemed to have forgotten about whatever he had needed done so badly to be yelling halfway across the castle for his manservant.

Gaius already knew that whatever had happened had to do with magic, most likely self-inflicted. For being so smart, Merlin really was stupid sometimes. The problem was, it would be hard to figure out exactly what magic did it with Arthur snooping.

He looked up at Arthur again. "It might take a while to diagnose him, sire."

"Okay."

He still sat there. "You don't need to wait," Gaius said pointedly.

Arthur seemed to understand. "Oh, right, sorry. I'll be back later," he said, leaving the room.

The moment he was gone, Gaius went back into Merlin's room and looked at the sorcery book. It was still open to the page he was on and—

Oh, that boy! He was so _stupid_!

Gaius wanted to go over to Merlin's prone body and swat him. Merlin messed with _time_ _travel_? That type of magic was very powerful and very dangerous! If he had come to Gaius about it first, he would have told him that it was a really bad idea and that he shouldn't risk it. Instead, he just did it and probably didn't even read the next page, which said that he shouldn't use magic while back in time or you'll get too tired to come back.

The biggest problem with this, however, was that Gaius had no idea at all how to fix it. He didn't know any sorcerers that even attempted time travel because it was too unpredictable. Sometimes you just got stuck in the past forever.

Gaius immediately got to work looking through all the books he had available to him, looking for anything that might bring Merlin back. He was working all day before he finally found it: if something jarring enough happened to the person's body, it might shock their consciousness back into it.

That actually wasn't terribly helpful, Gaius decided. What could he do? He didn't want to hurt him, but he couldn't think of something that could surprise an unconscious person other than pain. Maybe some minor pain would do him some good anyway.

He went back over to Merlin's unconscious form and pondered it. Suddenly, his hand flashed out and he hit him over the head. It was half just because he was so angry that Merlin had gotten himself into this type of stupid situation, but he also hoped it might be "jarring" enough. It wasn't.

He sighed and just then, Arthur walked in. "How is he?"

"The same," Gaius grumbled.

"Do you have any idea what's wrong?" Arthur asked.

"None, sire," he lied.

Arthur approached Merlin and stared into his face. He felt his head.

"You really think I didn't check for fever?" Gaius inquired.

"No, sorry, I trust you… it's just, he doesn't have any symptoms?"

"He seems completely healthy. Not even a bump on his head," Gaius said. It was technically the truth.

"Only Merlin could get himself sick in a way that nobody knows how to fix him," Arthur complained.

"I know," Gaius agreed. "But, the good thing is, he's stable. There doesn't seem to be any threat to his life, as of now. So we have time to figure it out."

Arthur looked back to Gaius, his eyebrows pulled together in worry. "How long do you think he'll be like this?"

"As long as it takes to figure out how to fix him, which could take a while," Gaius admitted.

Arthur sighed and looked back down at Merlin. "Come on, I have chores that need to be done, Merlin. You can't sleep on the job forever."

Gaius didn't know why, but he figured that Arthur wanted to be alone, so he walked out. Just before he did, he saw Arthur rest his head on the table.

"If you aren't alright, I'll kill you," Arthur muttered before shutting his eyes and saying no more.

* * *

The next morning, Arthur was surprised to find that he had slept in the chair, his hand still covering Merlin's. It was just Arthur's luck, Merlin being unconscious now. Arthur had finally decided to tell him the truth, and now he wasn't even able to listen.

He shook the sleep away and stood, a little embarrassed. Gaius was in the room, but he said nothing.

"Do you know what's wrong yet?" Arthur asked.

"No," Gaius said shortly.

He could tell Gaius wasn't reading any medicine book, just relaxing. In fact, Gaius didn't seem like he was searching for the problem at all.

"Gaius, you know something," Arthur finally said.

"I don't know what you're talking about, sire," Gaius said in a way that only piqued Arthur's suspicion.

Arthur came up to Gaius' desk. "Gaius, please. What's wrong? You know something, I know you do."

Gaius looked up at Arthur, and then sighed. "Someone has cast a spell on him," he finally said.

Arthur gaped at Gaius. "Who on earth would put a spell on _Merlin_?"

"Someone who wanted to bother you, maybe. It's hard to know."

"Then how can it be fixed? What exactly is wrong?"

"Merlin's consciousness has been separated from his body. I believe that if something surprising happens to the body, it might jolt his consciousness back into him. Only I can't think of anything that could surprise him without hurting him."

"I don't mind hurting him," Arthur said earnestly.

"That's very sweet of you," Gaius mumbled dryly, "but I don't think he would appreciate that. I want to think of something else.

Arthur promptly went over to the table Merlin was on and shoved him off.

"Sire!" Gaius scolded. "You don't want to hit his head too!"

But they were both staring at Merlin too, hoping it had worked. He was just limp on the ground now. Arthur sighed and set him back on the table.

"I have things I need to do today," Arthur said, "but please, think of something."

Gaius nodded as Arthur left.


	5. The Truth

**ONE WEEK LATER**

* * *

Arthur was trying as hard as he could not to visit Merlin. He had a lot of responsibilities, after all, and he was trying to get them all done without the help of a servant.

But that wasn't the actual reason. It was just that he had a feeling that if he saw Merlin like that again, he wouldn't be able to leave his side.

He told Gaius that if Merlin's state changed, he needed to tell Arthur immediately—or, preferably, have the baboon come to Arthur himself so that he could get some work done.

Uther had figured out a few days ago that Arthur's servant was 'sick'. (Arthur didn't want to tell him that it was sorcery, because he thought his father might try to blame it on Merlin—or even accuse Merlin of being a sorcerer himself.) Uther immediately elected to get Arthur a new servant, but Arthur insisted that he had already found one. He didn't want a new servant. He just wanted Merlin back.

Then the time came where Arthur couldn't stand it anymore. He hadn't heard a single word from Gaius. So he went to the physician's quarters to see Merlin, who was laying on the table the same way he had been all week. Gaius, however, was not there.

Arthur sat down next to Merlin, his spirits lowering the longer he looked into his emotionless face.

Then Arthur thought of something. The day Merlin had become sick was the day that Arthur was going to tell him the truth. He didn't know if Merlin could hear him, but if he _could_, then maybe the truth would be enough to shock him into waking up.

Before Arthur could change his mind, he began to talk. "Merlin, you've worked for me for a while now. At first, I thought you were a stupid git, actually, but… well, you still are, a little. I mean, you have your stupid moments. But then, also… Well, sometimes you kind of amaze me, seeming so wise. And you are so kind and care about me more than anyone. I don't think anyone else in this castle would do as much for me as you are willing to. I tease you all the time, but really it's just because I never wanted to tell you the truth. Sometimes I feel like you becoming my servant wasn't a coincidence, you know? Like somehow, you were destined to save me just so we could get to know each other. Because honestly, Merlin, you're one of the greatest men I've ever known. I mean, stupid, but still great." Arthur smirked to himself. He couldn't even pay Merlin a compliment without denying it a second later. "I mean, you aren't stupid," Arthur added. "I'm so used to being mean to you that sometimes it's hard to be honest. Does that make any sense?" Arthur shook his head. "I'm glad nobody's here to listen to this, because I must sound stupid, talking to someone who can't hear."

That was when Merlin smiled, just a little. "Wait, are you awake?" Arthur yelled. He shook Merlin, but nothing happened. "You can hear me," Arthur muttered to himself. "I kind of wish I hadn't said all that now."

But actually, Arthur hadn't gotten to the best part yet. Or the worst, actually.

"Merlin, I just don't know how to say this. Have you… have you ever been scared to tell someone something? I mean, not just any someone, someone you really care about? Because the thing you want to say is so bad that you think the person won't accept it?"

Arthur paused. He doubted Merlin had felt anything even close to that, but he was just trying to procrastinate now.

"Okay. I need to just say it. I really care about you. More than you know. It's like, I had never really been alive before I knew you, had never understood who I really was. I had never really liked myself, honestly, but then somehow a person as great as you took a liking to me, and anyone that you like can't be so bad. I guess the point here is, Merlin… The only reason I wanted to know if you liked me was because I liked you. There, I said it. I mean… Man, this'll be really embarrassing when you wake up. If Gwen was wrong…"

Arthur sighed. If that confession hadn't woken Merlin up, nothing would. Merlin was sitting there, still smiling a little, but probably just to tease Arthur.

Then Arthur had a frightening thought. If something like that couldn't wake Merlin, then what could? What if Gaius' theory was wrong and nothing could wake him at all? Arthur hadn't let himself consider that yet, but now that he was thinking it, the thought was constricting his throat.

"Merlin, if you never wake up, I'll kill you." He looked into Merlin's face again, at his cheekbones… at his lips.

Merlin might never wake up.

In that moment, Arthur decided he had gone a little mad. Because, sure, he knew about his feelings, but he didn't really intend to act on them. Actually, he figured that he might never have had the courage to tell Merlin if he hadn't gotten sick like this. But, right then, he didn't care about what was appropriate or his reputation or anything at all, only that he might never see Merlin's deep blue eyes open ever again. And he leaned over Merlin's face and kissed him.

"I love you," he breathed. He was so caught up in his emotions he couldn't even be embarrassed at what he had said. And that was when Merlin began to stir. "Merlin?" Arthur muttered.

His eyes fluttered open. Arthur didn't even know how to speak. He had been busy convincing himself that Merlin would never wake up, and now here he was, looking at Arthur in something between shock and delight.

"Arthur," Merlin said. "I didn't imagine all of that, did I?" he asked.

Arthur gulped. "Imagine what? Of course you imagined it," Arthur muttered, looking at his lap, but his face had gone hot and he knew he was betraying himself by blushing.

Merlin tried to nudge Arthur's face upwards, but Arthur wouldn't budge. "Are you going to look at me?"

"No."

Merlin rolled his eyes and kissed the portion of cheek that Arthur was leaving exposed. Arthur looked up at him, his eyes wide. Merlin grinned and took his chance, grabbing Arthur's face and kissing him on the lips.

Arthur gaped at Merlin. "Did you just—I—you know, when I said those things, I was just really upset that I thought you were never going to wake up and—"

"Oh, shut up," Merlin said, kissing him again.

Arthur pulled away. "You can't tell me to shut up! That's my job!" Arthur smiled a little. "So shut up," he whispered, leaning forward and kissing Merlin himself, softly this time.

"You know, nobody's going to approve of this," Merlin said when Arthur backed away.

Arthur sighed. "I know."

"So what are we going to do?"

Arthur bit his lip. "Never tell a soul, that's what."

Merlin didn't like the sound of that at first, but then he realised that it didn't matter what he had to do to be with him as long as he was.

"And what about when you have to get a queen? Because you will someday," Merlin inquired.

Arthur nodded. "I can't give up my duties. Any of them. But even when I have to pretend, know this. I really do love you. I think I have for a long time."

Merlin smiled. "I love you too."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed the fic. It was my first Merthur, so have a little mercy on me.**

**Oh, and see that little text box right under here? What I need you to do is click your cursor in it and review my story. Deal? Good.**


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